Heat-insulating structure



J. F. METTEN HEAT INSULATING STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 17, 1925 Patented Oct. 19, 1926.

UNITED STATES ElllT O F F I CE HEAT-INSULATING STRUCTURE.

Application filed November 1;7', 1925; Serial No. 69,627.

Thisinvention relates to heat insulation of piping, and particularly ship piping and similar WOIkWhL-IQ pipes or fittings carrying high temperature steam; have to pass through bulkheads, decksand partitions.

The usual practice-is to lit such pipes Witha tfiane'e .t'or directattachment to, the partition. QIn steel ships i-n particular, this results :inia high rate of heat flow into the structure of the ship adjacent to such attachments. vThe conductivity of the steel flanges is in proportion tothe. area :of metallic contact and the conductivity of the material, and, also to the crosssectionalarea or thickness of themetal wall tolwhich it is attached, varyingzingproportion; to; the diiterence in temperatures involved; The steady increasein: steam pressures and increasing use of superheat with steam, pressures corresponding to temperatures ranging from 400 to 706)-:F. have carried thetheat lossesh relsultingmfrom these connections to; reach serious proportions; In addition the high temperatures transmittedto the bulk-heads, particularly in the "neighborhood of quarters, haven seriousjeffect {upon the temperatures of :tllGyIOOIIlS.

In order-to oyercomethese objections, this invention provides for insulating the attachi1nentuby-the introduction-oi insulating collars :betWeent-the pipe and bulkhead a method of construction that will permit the collars to be molded in standard sizes; of suitable 'materialvofminimum heat conduc tivityand the a necessary high resistance ,to pressure; "Theconnectin is-.-provided in a formitoibe watertight, as is desirable org-required in L most cases. Since the space that can be occupied by these connections is; also generally limited, it is also important that the connect-ion take up no more space on the bulkhead than the usual non-insulated con nection. c

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, a

a Fig. l is a vertical sectional iew of a connectionhetween the pipes and the bulkhead foamed-.511 accordancdwith this invention, an

i Fig. 2,to 5 areisimilarnviews of modifications-.:

In the constructionshown inFig. 1 the endsofthe steamkpipesections 6 are provided with flanges 7 bolted-to the fiangesrS of the intermediate insulating structure, this structure'comprlsmg annular r ng por tions 9 fitting onan integral sleeve 10 and haying nner flanges 11 holding between them the heat insulation 12, Which in turn supports the flange ring 13 for attachment to endwise pressure is applied to compress the insulationfirmly between thefianges 11, and in.- turn to grip the ring '13 in the insulation. Thile maintaining this pressure the sleeve 10 is expanded at the ends to fit tightly the rounded edges 15 of the rings 9 and bind all the partssecurelytogether with the ring 13 grippedby the insulatingmaterial, which in turnis compressed between the flanges. 9, as these are rigidly held by the sleeve 10. 7 All of the parts arethus tightly held together in, a unitary Watertight structure Without any dangenof looseness or leakage between the, parts. a

As shown in Fig. lithe insulation 12 is preferably formed of three annular pieces 16, 17,,18.,with the-middlelpiece 17 fitting tightly between thesleeve 10 and the flange,

ring 13. In the structure shown this insula- $1011- 1'Z is squeezedbetween the pieces 16 and .18 so as to pressinwardyon sleeve 16 and ioutward in a radial direction on ring 11}, in a stronglysuppprting manner. The gripping actionof rings 16 and 18-onthe sides of the Pill 13 h9ll3hl5 ring againstaxial movevmentineither direction and also aids in supportingdt radially.--T-he compression and holding forces are; thus distributedover the entire body of; insulating material, so that ithe total: holdingfor cei may be -a maximum for the material used, and this materialmay be made-up in simplemoulded oixcut rings ,ofivanyheat insulating material best suited @for the conditions of each particular installati0n'..,, a

\The' whole structure of the insulator is builtzup of standardmaterials and parts, and the structure itself up no more room than theausualg nonsinsulatius fitting. No "special formation ofthev bulk head is re quired or any speciallabor or machine Work n orparts; The workman'is simply given the neupinsulatingstructure to use in place of" the previous integral flange. i l t uillibe apparentthat various structural modifications may be resorted to Without departing; fromfltheprinciple of the inmanta. For instance, each collar 9 may be divided into halves as shown at 9' in Fig. 2. As illustrated in Fig. 3, these end collars may be simple cylindrical rings 19 tapped to receive the studs 20 for the attachment of the pipe sections 6. .Vhere the pipes are required to pass through bulkheads or deck stufling boxes, the central ring 17 of insulating material may be elongated, as shown in Fig. i, to carry a hollow composition cylinder 21 sliding in the stufling box, also of composition material, provided by the flange ring 22 and compression ring 23 drawn against the packing material 24: by the bolts 25. i

Instead of attaching the flanges to the sleeve member by expanding the latter, the flanges may be welded or threaded to the sleeve member, as shown in Fig. 5, where the member 10 has flanges 8 and 11 integral at one end, and flanges 2S and 31 on a ring member 29, which is screwed on to the other end of the sleeve member 10. V

The connector of this invention is thus provided in readily adaptable form, as a compact strong and durable unit. The stresses between the end pipe connections are borne by the integral sleeve member and the stresses from the partition are taken up in well distributedcompressive forces on the insulating material. There are no holes through or projections on this insulating material, which is thus utilized in very simple and compact form, and in a position in the structure where it is surrounded by metal parts and protected against injury.

I claim: r H

1. A heat insulating connection for passing a heated fluid through a partition,bulkhead or the like comprising an outer member adapted to be attached to the partition, heat insulating material fastened to said outer member, and inner means fastened to said insulating material and providing attachment for a connecting pipe and a passage tor carrying the heated fluid through said partition, so that the insulating material intervenes between said inner means and said outer member. T

2. A unitary structure providing a con- .necting means for passing a heated fluid through a partition, bulkhead or the like comprlsmg an lnner tubular member having connecting means for attaching pipe sections at each end and passing the heated fluid from one pipe section to the other, an insulating material surrounding said tubular member and fastened thereto, and an outer ring member adapted to be attached to the partition and carried by said insulating material in spaced relation to the remainder of the structure, so that said insulating material intervenes between said inner member and said outer member.

3. A unitary structure providing a connecting means for passing a heated fluid through a partition, bulkhead or the like comprising an inner tubular member having connecting means for attaching pipe sections at each end and passing the heated fluid from one pipe section to the other, an insulating material comprising a plurality of annular sections fastened to said inner memher, and an outer ring memberadapted to be attached to the partition and carried by said insulating material in spaced relation to the remainder of the structure, so that said insulating:material intervenes between said inner member and said outer member.

4. A unitary structure providing a connecting means for passing a heated fluid through a partition, bulkhead or the like comprising an inner tubular member having end flanges for attaching pipe sections at each end, and passing the heated fluid from one pipe section to the other, an insulating material compressed between saidflanges and surrounding the central portion of said tubular member, and an outerring member adapted to be attached to the partition and carried by said insulating material in spaced relation to the remainder of the structure, so that said insulating material intervenes between said inner memberand s aidouter member. 7 T

"5. A. unitary structure pro-vidinga connecting means for passing a heated fluid through a partition, bulkhead or thelike comprising an inner tubularmember having flange rings at each end for attaching pipe sections and passing the-heated fluid. from one pipe section to the other, a plu rality of rings of insulating material com pressed between said flange rings, and an outer ring member gripped in turn between said rings of insulating material and adapt to to be attached to the partition, the insulating material intervening between said outer ring member and said inner tubular member so as to space said members apart.

6. A unitary structure providing a connecting means'ifor passing a heated fluid through a partition, bulkhead or the like comprising an inner tubular member having flange rings at each end for attaching pipe sections and passing the heated fluid from one pipe section'to the other, a plurality of rings of insulating material compressed between said flange rings, and an outer ring member gripped in turn between said rings of insulating material and adapted to be attached to the partition, all of said parts of said unitary structure being pen manently fastened together with the insuing material intervening between said outer ring member and said inner tubular member so as to space said-members apart.

7. As an article of manufacture, a heat insulating connection comprising a fluid conducting member, insulating material carried thereby, and a flange adapted for connection to a suitable member, carried by said material thereby forming a unitary structure.

8. As an article of manufacture, aheat insulating connection comprising a fluid conducting member, insulating material carried thereby, and a flange adapted for connection to a suitable member, carried by said mate rial, said insulating material being interposed radially between said conducting member and flange.

9. A heat insulating connection comprising a fluid conducting member adapted to conduct fluid through a partition, spaced flanges carried by said conducting member, insulating material carried by and surrounding said conducting member, and held in compressed relation by said flanges, and a supporting flange supported by said insulating material and held in spaced relation from the fluid conducting member by said insulation, said connection comprising a unitary structure which is adapted to be assembled with the partition by securing said supporting flange thereto.

10. A heat insulating connection, comprising a fluid conducting member, insulating material surrounding said member. and carried thereby, and a member radially and axially supported by the insulation adapted for operative connection to a suitable support.

11. As an article of manufacture, a heat insulating connection comprising a fluid conducting member having spaced flanges, a flange intermediate of said other flanges, a section of insulating material interposed radially between said intermediate flange and fluid conducting member, and other sections of insulatingmaterial interposed axially between the intern'iediate flange and the other flanges.

JOHN F. METTEN. 

